Automatic float-actuated watering device for farm animals



Oct. 2l, 1952 F. H. STEEL 2,614,532

AUTOMATIC FLOAT-ACTUATED WATERING DEVICE FOR FARM ANIMALS Filed July 19, 1950 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 21, 1952 AU'roMATicrLoAT-ACTUATED WA'rRING- Q nnvlcnron FARM ANIMALs Viaraerick H; steel. emilie-bine, ohio n 1950,. serial Nq. v,174,627 s,

vApplication 'JulyY 19,

' This invention'relates to appliances for supplying drinking water for consumption by farm animals, an object of the invention being to provide an eiiicient and simple device of this character in which the supply of waterl dellveredvto a drinking pan, and the level of the water maintained in said pan, are controlled automatically by'a oatactuated mechanism.

' Itis another object of the invention to provide affarm stock watering device which may be maintained readilyin a sanitary and cleanly condition and wherein provision is madev for housing and protecting the float-actuated valve mecha'- nism used inmaintaining a predetermined level ofwatervin an associated open-topped drinking pan.

k'It isanother object of the invention to provide an animal-watering device of the character indicated with a float-enclosing housing comprising a base and a cover section arranged to receive and surround the central region of an elongated open-topped drinkingVY pan, and wherein said housing and pan interlock in order that the parts of the device may maintain a fixed predetermined relationship which can not be disturbed by the forces and actions set up by drinkingl farm animals. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts as hereinafter set forthv and pointed out in the claim.

,- l`In theaccompanying drawings:

, Fig. 1 lis'atop plan view of a watering device for farm'iive stock embodying the` present invention:

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view taken through the device on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through the device on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2:

Fig. 4 is a group perspective kview of the float valve cover and the associated recessed flange of the drinking pan with which the cover has interlocking engagement;

' Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical secwardly directed reinforcing flange 3, ltllesaid flange'being provided'with a plurality'of longia tional view taken through the float-actuated valve fount of my improved drinking device.

In the drawing, the numeral I represents an elongated open-topped drinking pan into which a body of water disclosed at 2 is maintained for the drinking requirements of farm animals or the like. In this instance, the pan is of sheet metal construction, having the upper portions thereof formed with an outwardly and downtudinally spaced notchesl 4 in each of its opposite sides. In this instance, the bottom 5 vofthe pan rests is positioned between a pair offt'ransve'rsely spaced, parallel, longitudinally 'extending positioning'ribs 6 which are struck .upwardly from the 4bottom wall 1 of a housingvbasje 8,1the latter being also preferably formed from sheet metal andis provided at the opposite" endsfof the Wall 1 with upwardlygdirected end'walls 8f.

At one end, `the base 8 isjprovided centrally thereof with an opening ID through'which passes a tting II provided on a water-supplying pipe line I2',V leading from a suitable source of water supply, las for example,` an elevated tankfnot shown, ora supply main in which water is maintained under pressure. The fitting II communi? cates with a T-flttlng I3 which includes a down;-v wardly opening pipe connection I4 intowhich water may be led from any suitable source 'in the event it is impracticable for various reasons to cause the water supply line to enter through the side ofthe base. If the pipe connection I@ is not needed,the same may be capped and closed asatl5.l j

Threadedly connected with 'the upper end'fof the T-fitting I3 is a vertical branch conduit vIda.

which is connected at its upper end with an elbow tting Mb. The elbow receives the screw-thread;-

ed inlet end of a valve casing I6. e

The casing I6 includes horizontal passages or bores I'I and I8 which communicate at their adjacent ends with a vertical bore I9 providedl in an outlet extension`20 which projects downwardly into the upper` portion ofthe pan I. The pas sage I1 is normally closed by the tappered head 24 of a sliding valve 25 which is positioned in the horizontal passage I8. The valve 25 includes an actuator stern 25a which projects outwardly from the casing I6 and is annularly grooved to receive the yoke-shaped end 26 of a bell-crank float attaching lever 21. This lever is pivoted, as at 28, for turning movement about a horizontal axis provided by ears 29 projecting from the underside of the casing I6. The outer portion of the lever 21 is provided with a circular enlargement which, advantageously, may be provided with serrated radially disposed teeth which register with corresponding teeth provided on the circular head of a tting 30, a threaded binding device 3| being used to maintain the circular heads and serrated faces together so that the iloat arm-carrying fitting 30 may be adjusted about a horizontal axis relative to the eration when it is desired to disassemble or repair certain parts of the apparatus.

Toward this end, I provide a U-shaped'locking bail l-Ga which is pivotally carried on the Valve casing for swinging movement into the annularly vrecessed portion formed on the actuator stem 25a to lock the valve 25 against unseating movement. The

bail la is illustrated in its inoperative. position in the drawing, and to bring the same into locking position, the bail is mer-ely `swung downwardly behind the body of the valve 25 to holdl the same in its seated position, and'thereby preventrthe Iiowof'waterthrough.the valve. f

With' the construction' and arrangement of parts above described, it will be seen that water WillAb'e maintained in. the pan at a'levelreadily .reached A'by drinkingv farm animals." The construction has the advantage of mechanical simplicity and. economy ofv manufacture, being formed" mainly of. sheet metal parts capable of being .easily and cheaply produced'. The .float-actuated valve mechanisnifis protected againstdinjury by the drinking animals through the provision ofV a sheet'metal. cover m'en'ibnefrll,l whichforms a part of the float-valve housing. This vcov-er I includes a horizontal top. wallf35; depending. vertical end walls 35 .Which lifelclosely adjacenttothe vend wallsS. ofthe base 8 and transversely extending .parallel side walls 3`IL` `These sidel Walls are recessed, as Lat 38j; in order that the .same vmay receivethe upstanding sidewalls offthe. pan l. and theiriianges. 3. The vertical. edges shown .at 39 of"the'side wall recesses 38 vare adapted. to. enterv the notcheslprovided in the anges 3, and to be'securely posi-.1 tioned in said notches by, the actionof theangularly dii/erging beveledv` edges AlWJftl-e side walls. 3.1.. The. shapeofv the edges .39. and. delis suchasfto cause the same.to.-exert a wedge-.like action on the pan :Whenthel cover. member 314iv loccupiesits full downwardfpositionon. the .base B-.f

,Inthis manner,A the [floatV valve :mechanism is completely enclosed .by the housing'fand. pito.-v teeted. from injury bydninking; animals, rela.-

tive longitudinal movementfbetween'. the pa-n and 4 the housingbeing specifically precluded when the parts of the device are operatively assembled. All parts are readily accessible, however, for repair, adjustment or replacement purposes.

In View of the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides an eiiicient and useful watering trough for livestock, the same being characterized by its rugged construction, .its .positive action in maintaining afconstant pre- "cletlermined'-.A level oil drinking Water. within the trough, and ability to protect the mechanical `parts of the float valve assembly from abuse by drinking animals.

f' While vasingle preferred construction has been illustrated "in" detail, it will be understood that vvarious .modifications in constructional details may bevresorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the followingy claim.

I claim: j

In a livestock watering trough including an open tcp receptacle andi a neat-actuated. valve forcontrolling vthe passage v of Wai-,erV to' saidr'eceptacle a .Ulsliaped' receptacle-supporting frame including a bottom 'Wall andV upstandingl side Walls the .bottom wall of said -frame being `formed with` `a pair of longitudinally .spaced a-ndu-p.-l Warfdly projecting ribs between whichsaidrecep tacle is positioned to prevent relativetransverse displacement between said, frame andreceptacle;

a cubical cover guard. having aytop Wall arranged; to extend over and transversely .across said receptacleto cover said `valve andthe in termediate.'portion.of said receptacle, said. cover guard being. formed with depending side wall members having a plurality of vertically ar ranged slots'to receivey the upper side Walls-cof said. receptacle and a pair o fspacedparallel ,end Walls for .removable frictional engagementwithje'the side walls., of said lframe.. the side Walls off-"said guard, when th e -1a,tter is positioned onysaid iframe, extending doWn-Wardlyinto saidgreceptacle on-veitherside-orsaidvalve.i

mammaires-erger.;

REFERENCE-sf (ir-'rED* l i. AThe following references areof.. record'inthe nie @f this patent:Y UNITED 'STATES/LLPATENTST C 

